


Flowers have bloomed even in my heart.

by cenji



Category: AB6IX (Band), BNM BOYS (Band), MXM (Band), Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-10 03:10:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15940580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cenji/pseuds/cenji
Summary: Movie night at Youngmin and Kenta's place.





	Flowers have bloomed even in my heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Kwangrul is Kanto's real name.  
> They watch horror movies in this but there's no mention of anything very gory.  
> This was for prompt #21, 'youngmin and donghyun have a sleepover for the first time. its raining hard and donghyun is afraid of the rain, youngmin conforts him'

An important life lesson: never say 'bring whoever' to the wrong person. Youngmin is learning this. Movie night with his roommate, Kenta, has never been a sacred thing. Kenta would often drag along Donghan or Sanggyun or any number of recently arrived foreign students whom Kenta had taken it upon himself to help adjust. Youngmin hasn't invited people along so often, but sometimes Kwangrul would turn up on the promise of free pizza and Sewoon and Jaehwan regularly invited themselves over, movie night or not. 

  


Which is all to say that Youngmin hadn't thought anything of it when Jaehwan enquired if he could bring one or two other people over to watch. They'd planned on a couple of horror movies this time. The fact that Jaehwan wanted to come watch was troublesome. He's the type to, at every jump scare, screech loudly enough to shatter glass. Then cackle in embarrassment, loudly enough to atomise the smithereens as well as the ear drums of anyone sitting too close. So if he wants to bring along some other people, why not? All the better to buffer Youngmin's poor ears. 

  


But it hadn't been some people. It has been one person Jaehwan really wanted to bring. Specifically, Kim Dongyun. And Yougmin's mad. Absolutely raging. (Donghyun yelps at the sight of the ulcerated face of the witch appearing on screen and hides his face in Youngmin's shoulder again). The audacity of Kim Jaehwan. Youngmin's going to have words with him. Serious words. (He wraps his arm around Donghyun's shoulders to comfort the kid and swears he feels him smile against his skin). 

  


"Her make-up is nuts," Kenta comments. He's sitting crosslegged on a pile of cushions, chewing thoughtfully on an apple. The man's already in his pyjamas, wavy brown hair tied up on his head. Youngmin wonders what's on his roommate's mind that, for once, he's not spending a horror movie either hiding behind the sofa cushions or clinging on to Sanggyun's arm so tightly it cuts off the blood supply. Youngmin's wondering is, however, knocked out of his brain when Donghyun sits up suddenly, inadvertently headbutting him in the chin. 

  


"Is that make-up? Isn't it, like, computer effects and stuff?" he asks Kenta, seemingly having forgotten his terror of a moment ago. 

  


"It's 90% make-up," Kenta asserts, "I can show you how it's done sometime if you like."

  


"Cool, I'll take you up on that. Thanks, Hyung."

  


Donghyun settles back down on the sofa. Maybe Youngmin might sort of miss having his arm around the boy's slim frame. Maybe. But clearly that's just a rogue notion and not something he's going to do anything about. And if, as they're watching, Donghyun worms imperceptibly closer till he's snuggled against Youngmin's side, that's not something Youngmin's going to do anything about either. 

  


That's the problem with Donghyun. He arrived in Youngmin's life and, without warning, he was everywhere - in his college, in his friend circle, in his dreams. A year ago, Youngmin had never met son of Daejeon, Kim Donghyun. Youngmin had been living his life perfectly well. In fact, when he thought about it, everything might still have been fine and dandy if Donghyun had never shown up for that open-mic night at Youngmin's workplace. Up until then, Youngmin had reckoned this new acquaintance was cute, if rather too high-energy. Youngmin didn't mind thinking boys were cute. He'd found boys to be cute plenty of times - that didn't mean he wanted to date them. But then Donghyun had sung that self-composed song, strumming the simple melody with all his heart and singing about love that blooms in spring. Out of the blue, Youngmin's heart had wanted nothing more than to be right there within the lyrics. Walking under cherry blossoms, sharing an umbrella, kissing in the rain... 

  


Frankly, everything might still have been mostly fine and dandy-ish, if Youngmin hadn't subsequently got drunk and confessed his tumultuous heart to Sewoon and Jaehwan. Naturally, those two failed to comprehend why never-dated-a-guy, barely-keeping-his-life-together, funny-as-in-weired-not-funny-as-in-haha Im Youngmin did not think letting pretty, talented and likeable Donghyun know how he felt was a good idea. 

  


The second film they put on is mostly just gore. It sends Kenta and Jaehwan to jelly. They're squeezed together on one armchair. Jaehwan's sporadically releasing high-pitched sounds that really push the limit of what the human voice is capable of. Kenta has retrieved the giant alien plushie he stole from Donghan, so that he and Jaehwan have something substantial to hide behind. He has also pulled on that ginormous orange hoodie of Sanggyun's that he forgot to take home that one time, and is insistently texting Taehyun, just to share the the distress amongst more people. That's how Kenta and Jaehwan are handling matters. 

  


Youngmin and Donghyun, on the other hand, are pretty chill. Whether gore isn't Donghyun's thing or he just tired himself out on the last film, Youngmin isn't sure. Either way, he's been spending much of the film trying to catch popcorn in his mouth - which he's unreasonably good at - or holding Youngmin's arm to whisper in his ear a question when he realises he's lost the thread of the plot such that it is. 

  


For his part, Youngmin has things on his mind. Like the press of Donghyun's fingers lightly holding his sleeve and the feeling when they're gone. Like the strands of Donghyun's hair that ghost on Youngmin's skin when the boy leans close. Like what shampoo does he use and why does it make Youngmin yearn to kiss his hair - is it _designed_ to do that? And like those jeans - the skinny, blue ones with rips all up the thighs - and did Donghyun know what he was doing when he wore them. Surely no one would just blithely wear jeans like that as if it were nothing. 

  


Then there's a flash and an explosion in the sky. All the lights flicker. When the TV comes back on, the DVD's gone back to the start screen. Donghyun's fingers are digging into Youngmin's arm. He quickly lets go and grabs a cushion instead. Youngmin glances at him, but the boy is focused on the screen, helping Kenta figure out where they were cut off. 

  


"Guys, the skies have opened," Jaehwan comments darkly, kneeling up on the armchair to peer out the window. He's right. The drizzle that had been there throughout the day has transformed into a deluge. The roar of rain pouring forth is ceaseless and unnerving. 

  


"Do you think it'll get-" Another flash of lightning. "Worse?" Kenta cringes. Youngmin feels Donghyun jump beside him. But again, when he looks, the boy's lightly drumming his fingers on the cushion as if all he is is a bit bored. 

  


They try to finish the film. The thunder and lightning don't let up. Fed up with Donghyun startling every time but acting unaffected, Youngmin has taken the bold and courageous step of putting his arm around him. He's only done this before if, like earlier, Donghyun was already hiding in his shoulder and there was no where else, practically, for Youngmin to put his arm. (Or that one time when they were in the cafeteria and Donghyun laughed so hard he was about to fall off his stool. Or also a couple of times when Youngmin was nicely drunk and briefly forgot that he wasn't supposed to be in heavy _like_ with Donghyun. Anyway, hardly ever). No one appreciates Youngmin's bravery. 

  


The next time the lights go out, it lasts a full minute. In the first lightning flash, Youngmin spots the impassive face of that stupid alien doll, trembling as his two friends huddle behind it. In the next flash, he takes in Donghyun - face screwed up, knuckles white, bottom lip trapped between his teeth. When the lights fizzle back into life, the boy has already schooled his expression into something disinterested, unconcerned. There's just a tightness in his jaw that Youngmin's close enough to notice, a stiffness in his shoulders that Youngmin can feel as a near imperceptible prickling on his skin. The rain growls at the windowpane, louder than ever. 

  


"I'm out," Jaehwan declares, "I want to be somewhere less high up. Don't feel like being electrocuted just now." The musician lives in the building next door, down on the second floor. 

  


"Fair enough," Kenta agrees, peeking out the rain-soaked window to the darkness beyond. "You can borrow my umbrella." He hauls himself up, still clutching Donghan's alien plushie, arms lost in Sanggyun's hoodie. Jaehwan trails after him, eyeing the TV screen (back on the DVD's start screen once again) distrustfully. 

  


"Stay over," Youngmin mumbles towards Donghyun's hair. Braver than the marines. Busan's unsung hero. Donghyun sits up, looking at Youngmin with wide eyes. 

  


"What?"

  


"Stay over. It's awful out."

  


Donghyun tugs at his T-shirt. Youngmin isn't used to Donghyun appearing this self-conscious and uncertain. It's making him feel things in the pit of his stomach. 

  


"I can just call a taxi or whatever," Donghyun shrugs, but his eyes flit to the window betraying him. 

  


"Don't. The roads'll be dangerous. Just stay with me." Wait. That wasn't how Youngmin meant to phrase that. Donghyun's hands still. He's staring at Youngmin with those warm, dark eyes. His voice is like velvet when he utters, 

  


"Yeah?"

  


"I'm so tired I could eat a horse," Kenta announces, punctuating his words with a jaw-cracking yawn. He stalls in the doorway. He and the alien squint at the two on the sofa for a long moment. "Are you staying over, Donhyoni?" he asks - and Youngmin can tell he's genuinely exhausted because his pronunciation's gone wonky. 

  


"Er, I guess so."

  


"Coll. I wonder where my earplugs are..." Kenta shuffles away. Youngmin flushes. Why did Kenta mention earplugs? What's his roommate trying to imply? But Donghyun has hopped up and finally turned off the start screen with it's stupid loop of creepy music, and all there is is the white noise of the rain and Youngmin's heart beating disconcertingly fast. 

  


"I, uh, think there's a spare toothbrush," he mutters, pretending to be normal again. 

  


"Great," Donghyun answers. Youngmin does not think it normal to grin that brightly about a toothbrush. On the other hand, Donghyun does grin about a lot of things just generally. And his smile is beautiful and shiny, Youngmin considers, so maybe toothbrushing does just happen to make him happy. Who knows? 

  


Things go fine. Honestly, fine. He locates an unopened toothbrush and fishes something out of his wardrobe so Donghyun won't have to sleep in his day clothes. His younger friend goes to wash up first and when Youngmin himself is done, he returns to his room to find Donghyun sitting on the edge of his bed, gazing out the window, the knuckle of his thumb caught between his lips. Youngmin is hit with a feeling of absolute certainty that things are about to go not fine. 

  


"Hi," he greets. Donghyun jumps - and probably bites his thumb given how he hides his hand under his thigh, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. 

  


"Oh hey, Hyung. You're through already." Now that they're alone, no obnoxious horror movie or jabbering friends, the hitch in Donghyun's voice is audible. Youngmin's annoyed with himself for not picking up on it sooner. He drops down beside him on the bed, squeezing the boy's leg in what he hopes is a friendly way and not an I-care-about-you-so-much-seeing-you-sad-makes-my-heart-ache type way. 

  


"You good?"

  


"Yeah, I'm great," Donghyun answers immediately. His skin glows like honey in the lamplight. Youngmin's shorts fit him fine, but the T-shirt is slipping low on his collar-bone. and god, Youngmin wants to hold him. 

  


"Are you perhaps scared of the thunder and lightning?"

  


"No," Donghyun maintains eye contact, but his slender fingers are worrying the hem of Youngmin's old T-shirt. (The yellow monstrosity actually looks good on Donghyun. This is not what Youngmin had planned when he'd given it to him to wear. How rude... Or Youngmin is simply more whipped than he'd been aware). "Of course not."

  


A bolt of electric light illuminates Youngmin's tiny bedroom. Donghyun's veneer or calm crumples. He grabs Youongmin's hand resting on his leg and holds it tight. 

  


"OK, fine," he croaks, eyes still firmly shut, head bowed slightly, mouth a thin line, "Maybe a little. I just don't like it, that's all."

  


"OK, that's all," Youngmin agrees easily, squeezing Donghyun's hand back. The boy's eyes fly open. Apparently just realising what he'd been doing, he lets go and clears his throat awkwardly. His shoulders are tense again. Youngmin so wishes he had an excuse to do something about it. 

  


"So, right, should we-"

  


"Do you want to stay up for a while?" he cuts Donghyun off, letting the words spray out before his brain can impede him," I, er, Kwangrul-hyung showed me these cartoons his friend is making. Do you want to see?"

  


"Cartoons?"

  


"They're funny, I swear."

  


"Kwangrul-hyung's friend makes cartoons?"

  


"You sound so surprised," Youngmin chuckles. well, Donghyun still doesn't know Kwangrul well. He must look like a scary hyung when you don't know that he and half his friends are AV club nerds, "You'll like them."

  


Youngmin grabs his phone from where he'd thrown it on his desk, and climbs up on his bed. Resting a hand on Donghyun's shoulder, he lightly tugs him to come sit back with him. Donghyun complies, curling up at Youngmin's side. Something pleasant and warm coils in Youngmin's guts. In a corner of his brain, the theme from Top Gun plays. 

  


The cartoons are surreal shorts about talking animals going about their daily lives. Youngmin has a suspicion Donghyun finds them less hilarious and weird, and more just weirdly funny. In any case, he laughs and that's the important thing - loud and giggly and cute, and actually, maybe it's not a bad thing Kenta put his earplugs in. The next time lightning bursts in the night sky, he wriggles closer to Youngmin, fingers tightening where they're looped around the older boy's arm. However, his expression doesn't show anything like the devastation earlier. Youngmin hopes it never does again. A smile suits Donghyun much better. 

  


"Cold?" he enquires, by way of giving Donghyun an excuse. 

  


"Hm? Yeah, I guess. The rain makes it seem cold." It's true, the storm is pounding just as ferociously as it was a couple of hours ago. 

  


"Get under the duvet then, moron." The theme from Top Gun stutters to a stop and Tom Cruise gawks at Youngmin like he's an idiot. Youngmin's face is hot. His everything is hot. Why did he _say that_? Why does proximity to Kim Donghyun make him just _say_ things? He's messed up. Jaehwan and Sewoon are going to shun him when they find out how badly he's messed up. And he'll deserve it. He might have to shun himself too. 

  


"OK, sure," Donghyun murmurs. He swings himself up off the bed only to flip up the covers and dive underneath. He sighs contentedly at the warmth and comfort of burying himself under Youngmin's duvet. Youngmin bites his lip in order not to grin too widely. Tom Cruise shoots him a thumbs up. 

  


"Can we watch that one about the donkeys again?" Donghyun asks around a yawn, "I don't think I understood it."

  


"Yeah, let's."

  


The next time lightning stikes, Donghyun's asleep. It illuminates his face, long eyelashes soft against his cheek, breathing even, snoozing soundly in Youngmin's bed. As if in exchange, Youngmin can't sleep until after dawn. The horror movies didn't do much to him. He doesn't mind the hellish weather. But Donghyun stirring in his sleep, that sends a jolt through his body like nothing else. He has time in the wee hours to contemplate events. 'Occasionally trust Jaehwan,' this is an important life lesson Youngmin's slowly learning. In the morning, he's determined he'll ask Donghyun to come with him to get breakfast some place. They can walk together in the rain, sharing Youngmin's umbrella. No cherry blossoms at this time of year and Youngmin's almost a thousand percent certain he's not brave enough to kiss the boy yet. But those details can come later.  


End file.
